30 inch monitor currently not working through Mini Display Port

Just a piece of info for those considering driving a 30 inch Monitor with the Mini: The mini-display port to Dual Link DVI adapter Apple is offering is not working. There are some other forums discussing this problem with the unibody Macbook pro. I've been using mine since Dec. At irregular intervals the screen becomes blurry (weird double lines all over), and the only thing that works is plugging back in or (more harmless if you have multiple projects up and don't want them to be scattered all over the screen) Control-Shift-Eject to put the display to sleep, then wake it back up after a few seconds with mouse or keyboard. This can be very annoying as sometimes one has to repeat it multiple times. Apple is aware of the problem, but has not come forward with a solution.

I just don't want you guys to be disappointed in your new Mini with a capable graphics card...

I want to know a narrower question, can I put together any Mac and a 2,560 x 1920 monitor for less than $2,000? Specifically, can a new Mac mini with a mini Displayport drive a Dell 30 inch monitor with a standard Displayport connection at that resolution? Who makes a mini Displayport to standard Displayport cable? If it does work it would be a pretty sweet set up for under $2k! Thanks!

Just a piece of info for those considering driving a 30 inch Monitor with the Mini: The mini-display port to Dual Link DVI adapter Apple is offering is not working. There are some other forums discussing this problem with the unibody Macbook pro. I've been using mine since Dec. At irregular intervals the screen becomes blurry (weird double lines all over), and the only thing that works is plugging back in or (more harmless if you have multiple projects up and don't want them to be scattered all over the screen) Control-Shift-Eject to put the display to sleep, then wake it back up after a few seconds with mouse or keyboard. This can be very annoying as sometimes one has to repeat it multiple times. Apple is aware of the problem, but has not come forward with a solution.

I just don't want you guys to be disappointed in your new Mini with a capable graphics card...

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Wasnt there a difference between which macbook it was being used with also? I believe I read that the macbook air did not see this problem somewhere. So maybe, maybe the new mini+dual link adapter works better.

I have ordered both so should know more next week when the mini arrives.

Specifically, can a new Mac mini with a mini Displayport drive a Dell 30 inch monitor with a standard Displayport connection at that resolution?

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Yes it can, it's listed on the tech specs page. The problem is that the mini-DP -> Dual-Link DVI adapter just doesn't work right or that there's something wrong with the graphics card or its software.

Who makes a mini Displayport to standard Displayport cable?[/QUOTE]

This is another problem. I have a Dell 3008WFP that could accept HDMI and Displayport input but nobody makes a mini-DP -> Displayport adapter (which is stupid since it'd be the easiest adapter) and there's no info if the HDMI version available soon from monoprice.com is going to support 2560x1600 resolution. Most likely it won't since it's meant for connecting to HDTVs.

While the 30" user base is certainly a minority, it's ******** that Apple can't make 'em work with their hardware.

I have a Dell 3008WFP that could accept HDMI and Displayport input but nobody makes a mini-DP -> Displayport adapter (which is stupid since it'd be the easiest adapter) and there's no info if the HDMI version available soon from monoprice.com is going to support 2560x1600 resolution. Most likely it won't since it's meant for connecting to HDTVs.

While the 30" user base is certainly a minority, it's ******** that Apple can't make 'em work with their hardware.

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Dell's HDMI adapter is type A (19 pins), which is a single link connector, so it won't support 2560x1600. You would need Type B HDMI (29 pins) for that.
Type B adapters are not widely used, and making mini displayport -> HDMI type B adapter would cause the same problems as mini displayport -> dual link DVI adapter, as the video signal is the same.
Mini displayport -> HDMI type A uses the same video signal as DVI.

Mini displayport -> displayport would work with 2560x1600, if someone would make the adapter cable.

I'm having those pixel noise problems with my new 17" 2.66GHz MBPro when hooking up to my 30" ACD with the MiniDP to Dual-DVI adapter. Not knowing where the problem really lies, I'm thinking of getting returning the MBPro and getting a Mini for the time being until Apple solves the problem. But maybe that's not the solution--so would love to hear any first-hand experience from anyone with this setup.

BTW, as I understand it, it's only the $799 model with the 256MB of SDRAM on the GP that can handle the 30" display at full 2560 by 1600 pixel resolution.

Also would be interested in how Adobe CS4 is running on a new Mac Mini--working OK or does Photoshop get sluggish with any file larger than page-size at print resolution?

Dell's HDMI adapter is type A (19 pins), which is a single link connector, so it won't support 2560x1600. You would need Type B HDMI (29 pins) for that.
Type B adapters are not widely used, and making mini displayport -> HDMI type B adapter would cause the same problems as mini displayport -> dual link DVI adapter, as the video signal is the same.
Mini displayport -> HDMI type A uses the same video signal as DVI.

Mini displayport -> displayport would work with 2560x1600, if someone would make the adapter cable.

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I wish Monoprice would come out with a MDP-DP cable so I could use the Dell 3008WFP with my 2.26Ghz 4GB Mac Mini in native 2560x1600 mode.

I'm having those pixel noise problems with my new 17" 2.66GHz MBPro when hooking up to my 30" ACD with the MiniDP to Dual-DVI adapter. Not knowing where the problem really lies, I'm thinking of getting returning the MBPro and getting a Mini for the time being until Apple solves the problem. But maybe that's not the solution--so would love to hear any first-hand experience from anyone with this setup.

BTW, as I understand it, it's only the $799 model with the 256MB of SDRAM on the GP that can handle the 30" display at full 2560 by 1600 pixel resolution.

Also would be interested in how Adobe CS4 is running on a new Mac Mini--working OK or does Photoshop get sluggish with any file larger than page-size at print resolution?

TIA.

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CS4 will run just fine - its a 2D application (although I realise there are now some optional graphics acceleration options but from what I hear they're kind of a waste of time). All non-accelerated applications will run just as well on a 30" display as on a 15" display. Pretty much any graphics card with about 32MB/64MB of memory will be able to drive a 30" display just fine in 2D - its only 3D where things go awry.

Consider it this way: The 9400m is in the same ball park as the graphics card Apple first sold to power the 30" display, the GeForce 6800 Ultra. Have you ever heard of poor 2D performance from anyone using one of those?

Good news:
I got my new Mac Mini and plugged it to my 30" Dell 3008WFP with mini dp->dual dvi adapter (mini dp + usb attached + network cable, mouse and keyboard).
2560x1600 mode has been running several hours without a glitch.
Recovering from power save mode seems to be working as well.

So either I'm lucky or the dual-dvi adapter issue is a laptop problem.

Good news:
I got my new Mac Mini and plugged it to my 30" Dell 3008WFP with mini dp->dual dvi adapter (mini dp + usb attached + network cable, mouse and keyboard).
2560x1600 mode has been running several hours without a glitch.
Recovering from power save mode seems to be working as well.

So either I'm lucky or the dual-dvi adapter issue is a laptop problem.

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That is good news! Please do keep us posted if it starts causing problems.

Good news:
I got my new Mac Mini and plugged it to my 30" Dell 3008WFP with mini dp->dual dvi adapter (mini dp + usb attached + network cable, mouse and keyboard).
2560x1600 mode has been running several hours without a glitch.
Recovering from power save mode seems to be working as well.

So either I'm lucky or the dual-dvi adapter issue is a laptop problem.

Click to expand...

Seems to work for me aswell. I think they fixed something software wise in the Leopard build that comes with the new mini, that is just a guess though.

I have the 30 inch apple cinema display. Looks good on the new mini at 2560x1600 res. No problems so far.

One really nice thing is that the mini manages to drive both my 30 inch and also my 23 inch ACD at the same time.

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